State funds help Wartrace park

The Wartrace Parks and Recreation committee has plans in store for the town park and now, thanks to a grant from the state, those plans will be a little easier to fulfill. A public hearing was held prior to the Monday night meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to discuss potential uses for the money, $10,000 from the state that will be met by $10,000 that has been raised by the department with special events and fundraisers.

"We've signed a contract with the state and should be getting an order to proceed," said Mayor Don Gallagher. "After we get that, we've got 180 days to get things rolling."

The grant requires a formal groundbreaking for whatever project they choose and a date during the upcoming spring break has been suggested.

The primary use of the grant money will be used to pay for ground cover, said Alderwoman Jean Gallagher, who serves on the parks and rec committee, adding that the pea gravel currently in use is not ADA compliant.

"The mulch is only a dollar a square foot," she told the board, "but it doesn't last too long."

Two other possibilities included rubber beads, piled like the pea gravel is now, or rubber matting. The beads would last longer than the mulch, but cost about $4.13 a square foot. The rubber mat wold require a concrete or packed gravel base and could cost up to $10 a square foot, she said.

Hoping for more

Alderwoman Gallagher told the board the parks committee would also like to purchase some additional playground equipment, such as a smaller slide for toddlers, or something for the older children ages 11 and up.

"Unfortunately, $20,000 doesn't go very far," she said. The committee continues to hold fundraisers, including the chili supper coming up on Saturday, March 21 at the community center.

"Anything we raise over our $10,000 is extra," she said.

More improvements to the park will come at a much lower cost, since others are raising the funds for the materials and are providing the labor.

"One of the Boy Scouts is working on his Eagle badge and is building a swing," said Jean Gallagher. "We need another bridge behind the big pavilion and we have another Scout looking at that for his Eagle badge."

Mayor Gallagher said if the scouts can't raise all of the money for the materials, the town could help out, but it would not come out of the grant money.

Memorials ready

Work continues on the memorial trees in the park, said Jean Gallagher.

"We've used $3,101 of our $3,500 grant from the Department of Forestry," she said. "We have 40 trees planted."

The balance of the money would be used to mulch around the trees and she said she was hoping she could volunteers, such as Leadership Bedford, to help spread the mulch.

Memorial markers are available for those who wish to contribute. Donors can purchase a tree for $30, then choose between a 4-by-8 or 8-by-16 granite memorial stone for $35 and $125 respectively. Additional letters over eight on the smaller stone will cost a dollar per letter, but there is no charge for extra lettering on the larger stones.

"The smaller ones are scrap granite," said Patsy Throneberry, a former alderwoman who now sits on the Parks and Rec committee. "Some may be 6 to 8 inches thick."

The differences in thickness won't matter, she said, since the smaller stones will be placed flush to the ground to make mowing easier. All will be grouped near the trees.

The stones can be ordered at the town hall.